Tackle storage and slide system for a boat

ABSTRACT

A tackle storage and organization system for a boat, such as a bass boat, is disclosed. A set of supports is installed in a deck compartment of the boat. The supports may be rails installed specifically for the tackle storage and organization system, or they may be the upper edges of existing partitions for subcompartments within the deck compartment. A box or tray is installed on the supports so as to be slideable horizontally along the supports, but is also removable from the supports. The box or tray may be subdivided into any number of compartments, and in some cases, the dividers used may be removable and repositionable in order to adapt to different types of items. The box or tray may have engaging structure to mount a number of accessories, including a spool accessory.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.17/179,824, filed Feb. 19, 2021. That application claims priority to,and the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/979,344,filed Feb. 20, 2020. The contents of both of those applications areincorporated by reference in their entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to tackle storage systems, and in particular, totackle storage systems that are integrated into boats.

BACKGROUND

Bass boats are small boats designed for recreational fishing, usually infreshwater. Generally 18-22 feet in length and made of FIBERGLAS®glass-fiber composite or aluminum, they are typically powered by anoutboard motor or motors and commonly provide seating for twopassengers, usually in the form of swivel chairs.

Most bass boats have storage compartments built into the deck. Thesecompartments may be used, for example, to store the tackle and suppliesused to catch fish, as well as any fish that are caught.

BRIEF SUMMARY

One aspect of the invention relates to a tackle storage and organizationsystem for a boat, such as a bass boat. A set of supports is installedin a deck compartment of the boat. The supports may be rails installedspecifically for the tackle storage and organization system, or they maybe the upper edges of existing partitions for subcompartments within thedeck compartment. A box or tray is installed on the supports so as to behorizontally slideable along the supports, but is also removable fromthe supports. The box or tray may be subdivided into any number ofcompartments, and in some cases, the dividers used may be removable andrepositionable in order to adapt to different types of items.

In some embodiments, the box or tray may include a mounting structure,particularly on its forward or rear sidewall. The mounting structureallows a number of accessories to be attached to the box or tray. Eachof these accessories has a complementary engaging structure to mount onthe box or tray. The accessories may include both extension trays thatprovide more organizing space, and attachments like spool holders tohold fishing line.

Other aspects, features, and advantages of the invention will be setforth in the description that follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

The invention will be described with respect to the following drawingfigures, in which like numerals represent like features throughout thedrawing figures, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a boat with a tackle storage systemaccording to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an opened deck compartment of the boatof FIG. 1 , illustrating a tackle storage and organization system;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of a sliding tray, illustrating itsengagement with support rails, and FIG. 3A is a front elevational viewof a slightly modified version thereof (without its engagement withsupport rails being illustrated);

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the attachment ofaccessories to the sliding tray of FIGS. 2-3 ; and

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the attachment of anaccessory tray and other accessories to the sliding tray of FIGS. 2-3 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a boat, generally indicated at 10. Theboat 10 includes a hull 12 and a deck 14. The boat 10 is generally ofthe type used for recreational fishing, and in particular, for bassfishing, although boats 10 according to embodiments of the inventionneed not be limited to those uses. An outboard motor 16 is provided topropel the boat 10, and in some embodiments, the boat 10 may alsoinclude a separate trolling motor for low-speed propulsion duringfishing operations (not shown in FIG. 1 ). The hull 12 and deck 14 ofthe boat 10 of the illustrated embodiment are made of FIBERGLAS®glass-fiber composite, although in other embodiments, they may be madeof other materials.

The boat 10 of FIG. 1 includes two passenger positions side-by-side, onepassenger position 20 on the starboard (i.e., right) side and onepassenger position 22 on the port (i.e., left) side. Each passengerposition 20, 22 includes a chair 24. The chairs 24 of the illustratedembodiment are fixed in forward-facing positions, although chairs 24 inother embodiments of the invention may swivel or have any otherdesirable features. By convention, the starboard-side passenger position20 is the pilot's position, although this need not be the case in allembodiments. Because it is the pilot's position, the starboard-sidepassenger position 20 includes engine controls and a wheel for ruddercontrol, collectively indicated at 26, and a console 28 that includesinstrument displays. A windscreen may be connected to an upper surface32 of the console 28 to shield the pilot from wind. In the illustrationof FIG. 1 , the port-side passenger position 22 also has a console 34installed between the bow and the passenger chair 24 to shield thepassenger chair 24 from wind.

As can be seen in FIG. 1 , the deck 14 has a number of built-incompartments 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 in both its fore and aft sections.The compartments 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 allow for storage, includingtackle storage. “Tackle,” as that term is used here, refers to any andall equipment that may be used for fishing. In embodiments of theinvention, the compartments 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 may have built-intackle storage and organization systems.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one of the compartments 36 opened,showing a tackle storage and organization system that is generallyindicated at 50. The tackle storage and organization system 50 ismounted within the compartment 36. More specifically, a set of rails 52,54 that are oriented along the port-starboard direction connect with thesides of the compartment 36 and support a pair of rails 56, 58 that, inthe illustrated embodiment, are oriented in the fore-aft direction.These rails 56, 58 may be pre-installed in the compartment 36, or theymay be installed specifically as a part of the organization system 50.In some cases, the rails 56, 58 may be the upper portions of sidewallsof partitions or compartments within the compartment 36. While the rails56, 58 are permanently installed, they need not be installedspecifically for the organization system 50; rails, sidewalls, and othersuitable structures within an existing compartment 36 may be used.

An organizing tray 60 (“tray” for short, herein) is slidably mounted onthe fore-aft rails 56, 58 to slide horizontally along the rails 56, 58.The tray 60 itself is divided into a number of compartments. Thepartitions that divide the tray 60 into compartments may be removableand positionable, such that the tray itself can be configured in anynumber of different ways.

While the tray 60 may be permanently mounted for sliding movement alongthe rails 56, 58, in many cases, it may be advantageous if the tray 60is removable. A removable tray 60 may be helpful for several reasons.First, a user can remove the tray 60 from the rails 56, 58 and stillhave access to substantially the entire volume of the compartment 36, inorder to store and access larger pieces of equipment. Second, a user canremove the tray 60 from the boat 10 entirely, in order to load andorganize it at home or in another such setting, which may be moreefficient and make better use of time on the water. The tray 60 may havecut-outs for handles on its sides in order to facilitate handling.

As can be appreciated in FIG. 2 , the rails 52, 54, 56, 58 are mountedlow enough in the compartment 36 that the compartment lid can close.Typically, the rails 52, 54, 56, 58 are set low enough that the itemsplaced in the tray 60 can extend above the tray for at least somedistance. In some embodiments, there may be subcompartments or dividersin the compartment below the tackle storage and organization system 50.As was noted above, the rails 52, 54, 56, 58 need not be rails per se;instead, the rails 52, 54, 56, 58 could be the upper edges of dividersthat are already installed within the compartment 36.

While the tray 60 slides horizontally in the fore-aft direction in theillustrated embodiment, that need not be the case in all embodiments.The rails 52, 54, 56, 58 or other supporting structures within thecompartment 36—or any of the other compartments 38, 40, 42, 44, 46—couldbe set to allow the tray 60, or a similar tray, to slide in theport-starboard direction, or even diagonally across the compartment 36.

Thus, the tackle storage and organization system 50 provides space andstructure for storing and organizing tackle within a deck compartment 36of a boat 10. The tray 60 can be removed from the system 50 to be loadedat home or in another location. Generally speaking, the presence of thesystem 50 does not infringe on other organizational features orsubcompartments that may be present in a compartment 36, and the system50 may use existing subcompartment sidewalls or rails as supportstructure for a sliding tray 60.

Methods of mounting the tray 60 on the rails 56, 58 may vary fromembodiment to embodiment. In some embodiments, the tray 60 may simplyrest on the rails 56, 58. In other embodiments, the tray 60 and therails 56, 58 may have specific, complementary engaging structure so thatthe tray 60 cannot fall off the rails.

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the tray 60 and the rails 56, 58in isolation, showing the engagement of the rails 56, 58 with the tray60. In this embodiment, the rails 56, 58 are connected together by aplate 62 that is secured to each rail 56, 58 at two places along itsheight. On upper, outer surfaces proximate to their tops, the rails 56,58 have outwardly-extending mounting flanges 64, 66. The flanges 64, 66each have an inverted-L shape. As further illustrated in FIG. 3 , thebottom edges of the tray 60 have inwardly-extending C-shaped flanges 68,70 (i.e., exemplary rail-securing structures provided on the bottom ofthe organizing tray, as recited in the claims below) that fit over andslide along the mounting flanges 64, 66. The flanges 64, 66, 68, 70 mayhave breaks along their length that allow the tray 60 to be lifted fromthe mounting flanges 64, 66 if the tray 60 is slid to a specificposition along the rails 56, 58. Of course, the mounting structures onthe rails 56, 58 and the tray 60 may vary from embodiment to embodiment,both in style and in location. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 3A,C-shaped flanges 68′, 70′ could be provided on the sides of the tray 60′(i.e., exemplary rail-securing structures provided on the left and rightsidewalls of the organizing tray, as recited in the claims below),rather than on the bottom of the tray as illustrated in FIG. 3 . In thatcase, the tray 60′ might be mounted between the rails 56, 58 (not shownin FIG. 3A). In this text, the phrase “mounted on the rails,” andsimilar descriptions, should be construed to cover embodiments in whichthe tray 60 is suspended between the rails 56, 58.

As is also shown in FIG. 3 , in this embodiment, the tray 60 includes areceiving bracket 72 (i.e., a first exemplary component-receivingbracket, as recited in the claims below) on its front sidewall. Thepurpose of the receiving bracket 72 will be described in more detailbelow.

In FIG. 2 , the tray 60 is shown as the sole element that is mountedwithin the compartment 36. In other embodiments, the organizing system50 may have other components that connect modularly to the tray 60, suchthat the tray 60 is mounted for sliding movement on the rails 56, 58within the compartment 36, and any number of organizing attachments canbe mounted to the tray 60, to the rails 56, 58, or to other components.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view that illustrates this concept. Asin FIG. 3 , the tray 60 has a receiving bracket 72. The receivingbracket 72 is female in this embodiment and accepts a complementarytongued male flange 74 (i.e., another exemplary component-receivingbracket—this one being complementary to the first exemplarycomponent-receiving bracket mentioned above—as recited in the claimsbelow). Generally speaking, any component that has the correctcomplementary mounting structure 74 can be mounted on the forward wallof the tray 60.

In the view of FIG. 4 , two components are shown that could beinterchangeably attached to the tray 60: an extension tray 80, and aspool holder 90. The extension tray is a rectilinear compartment ofsimilar width and height to the tray 60, but with a shallower depth. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the extension tray 80 is subdivided by asingle removable partition 82 into two compartments, 84, 86. Thesidewalls of the extension tray 80 have hand-sized oval openings 88,allowing the extension tray to be lifted and carried with relative ease.In this embodiment, the bottom of the extension tray 80 has mountingstructure 68, 70 for mounting directly to the rails 56, 58, althoughsuch structure 68, 70 may be absent in other embodiments.

The spool holder 90 is taller than the tray 60 and has a width abouthalf that of the tray 60. In contrast to some of the other elements ofthe organization system 50, the spool holder 90 may be designed to beused only with the compartment 36 open; its height may exceed the heightof the compartment 36, such that the lid of the compartment will notclose with the spool holder 90 installed. One particular advantage ofthe accessory attachment system illustrated in these figures is thatwhen the captain and passenger(s) on the boat are ready to fish,accessories like the spool holder 90 can be installed easily on the tray60, and those accessories can be just as easily removed and returned tostorage (e.g., in the compartment 36 below the tray 60) when no longerneeded. Of course, the spool holder 90 may also be designed with aheight that allows the compartment 36 to close.

The lower structure of the spool holder 90 includes a rearwardly-facingwall 92 (i.e., an exemplary lower portion thereof, as recited in theclaims below) that carries a tongued male flange 74, i.e., aspool-attachment mounting structure (again, an exemplarycomponent-receiving bracket that is complementary to the first exemplarycomponent-receiving bracket mentioned above, as recited in the claimsbelow), such that the spool holder 90 can be attached to the tray 60using the receiving bracket 72. In the upper portion of the spool holder90, a pair of uprights 94, 96, which are mirror images of one another,are spaced apart and connected by a rod 98. The overall arrangement issuch that the rod 98 can be passed through the center of a spool ofmonofilament line or another such similar product, so that the spool canrotate around the rod 98 to dispense the line as needed. The upperportions 100 of the two uprights 94, 96 are circular and relativelylarge, usually larger than the sides of a typical spool that would bemounted on the spool holder 90. This may have the effect of preventing aspinning spool from contacting other objects, preventing bothinterference and possible injury from the spinning spool.

In FIG. 4 , the tray 60 is the connection point for accessories.However, that need not be the case in all embodiments. FIG. 5 is anotherexploded perspective view, this one showing the tray 60 with anextension tray 80 connected to it by engagement of the receiving bracket72 on the tray 60 with the male flange 74 on the rearward side of theextension tray 80. The extension tray 80, with two receiving brackets 72aligned but spaced from one another on its forward sidewall, acts as theconnecting point for further accessories.

As shown in both FIGS. 4 and 5 , the spool holder 90 may be mountedusing one of the receiving brackets 72. FIG. 5 also shows a full-widthspool holder 110 that may also be used. The full-width spool holder 110has a lower section with two spaced-apart, rearwardly-facing mountingplates 112, each carrying a male flange 74. As with the spool holder 90,the full-width spool holder 110 has two uprights 114, 116 with enlarged,circular upper portions 118. A rod 120 connects the two circular upperportions 118. In the full-width spool holder 110, an additional upright122 (i.e., an intermediate upright, as recited in the claims below)arises midway between the two main uprights 114, 116 to provideadditional support to the rod 120. The rod 120 passes through theadditional upright 122. The additional upright 122 defines two separatespool positions, each sized to accommodate a spool 124.

While the invention has been described with respect to certainembodiments, the description is intended to be exemplary, rather thanlimiting. Modifications and changes may be made within the scope of theinvention, which is set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An organizing system for a boat, comprising: anorganizing tray having a bottom and forward, rear, left, and rightsidewalls arising from the bottom and one or more partitions dividingthe organizing tray into a plurality of compartments, the organizingtray further comprising a component-receiving bracket on the forwardsidewall or the rear sidewall thereof; rail-securing structures providedon the left and right sidewalls of the organizing tray or the bottom ofthe organizing tray, the rail-securing structures adapted to secure theorganizing tray to a pair of rails for sliding movement along the pairof rails; an extension tray having a bottom and forward, rear, left, andright sidewalls arising from the bottom thereof; and anothercomponent-receiving bracket mounted on the forward sidewall or the rearsidewall of the extension tray, said another component-receiving bracketbeing complementary to and engagable with the component-receivingbracket on the forward sidewall or the rear sidewall of the organizingtray.
 2. An organizing system for a boat, comprising: an organizing trayhaving a bottom and forward, rear, left, and right sidewalls arisingfrom the bottom and one or more partitions dividing the organizing trayinto a plurality of compartments, the organizing tray further comprisinga component-receiving bracket on the forward sidewall or the rearsidewall thereof; rail-securing structures provided on the left andright sidewalls of the organizing tray or the bottom of the organizingtray, the rail-securing structures adapted to secure the organizing trayto a pair of rails for sliding movement along the pair of rails; and aspool holder, including: a pair of uprights; a lower portion connectedbetween the pair of uprights, the lower portion having aspool-attachment mounting structure complementary to and engageable withthe component-receiving bracket on the forward sidewall or the rearsidewall of the organizing tray; and a rod extending betweencorresponding upper portions of the pair of uprights.
 3. The organizingsystem of claim 2, the spool attachment further comprising anintermediate upright spaced between the pair of uprights, theintermediate upright supporting the rod.